Billy Paul 1934 – 2016

“Me and Mrs Jones… We’ve got a thing going on” – Billy Paul, the legend and friend to The Boom Room, passed away at age 80 on April 24th. Originating from Philadelphia, Billy brought a soulful sound to the scene and won a Grammy in 1972 for his most famous song “Me and Mrs.Jones”. Billy started singing from a young age and is noted for singing with people like Charlie Parker and Dinah Washington. Along with his collaborations, he was drafted in his early 20’s and ended up in a German base with famous stars like Elvis Presley and Gary Crosby. “We tried to get Elvis to join but he wanted to be a Jeep driver. So me and Gary Crosby, we started it and called ourselves the Jazz Blues Symphony Band” (Vasquez). Billy’s career spanned over 60 years and his contribution to the Philadelphia music community is unparalleled. Up to his last days Billy still performed live music.

Please enjoy these clips of him rehearsing at The Boom Room for his shows in Brazil: